Syria’s interior ministry has reported that a member of the security forces was killed during a raid in Aleppo that resulted in the deaths of three jihadists associated with the Islamic State (IS) on Saturday. The operation was conducted by the Aleppo security department in collaboration with general intelligence services, targeting a hideout of an entrenched IS cell.
The ministry confirmed that the raid led to clashes in which a General Security force member lost their life. In a follow-up statement, the ministry indicated the operation, aimed at neutralizing a seven-member cell, concluded with the deaths of three militants and the arrest of four others. During the raid, authorities discovered explosive devices, an explosive vest, and several uniforms belonging to the General Security force.
Contradicting the ministry’s account, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported a higher death toll of five, including two personnel from the security forces. The Observatory suggested that three members affiliated with IS were killed, with two reportedly detonating explosives during the confrontation.
Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory, speculated that the killed jihadists may have previously been members of security forces who defected to IS. As Syria’s transitional authorities, rooted in the Al-Qaeda jihadist network, grapple with maintaining security amid ongoing turmoil, the situation remains precarious.
The offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) played a crucial role in toppling former president Bashar al-Assad in December, ending nearly 14 years of authoritarian rule. In the aftermath, the new administration has disbanded all armed factions, with some, including HTS, integrated into various security bodies, including the newly formed General Security police force.
Amidst these developments, US President Donald Trump recently indicated a willingness to ease sanctions on Syria, contingent upon Damascus’s cooperation in preventing a resurgence of IS. The jihadist organization had previously seized significant territory in both Syria and Iraq during the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border caliphate in 2014.
Though IS lost its territorial grip in Syria with the support of US-backed Kurdish-led forces in 2019, reports suggest that the group continues to maintain a presence, particularly in the country’s extensive desert regions, posing an ongoing challenge to national stability.
